San Ramon, CA Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Max illumination at property line
- 1 foot-candle, residential zone
- Glare confinement
- Within site boundaries, Sec. D3-7.H.2
- Fixture aim
- Downward, away from adjoining properties
- Review point
- Checked at lighting plan submittal
Summary
San Ramon caps light spilling onto a neighboring residential lot at one foot-candle at the property line and requires fixtures to confine glare within the site and aim downward and away from adjoining land, under Municipal Code Section D3-7(H)-(I).
H. Shielded or recessed lighting required. Lighting fixtures shall be shielded or recessed to reduce light bleed to adjoining properties, by: 1. Ensuring that the light source (e.g., bulb, etc.) is not visible from off the site; and 2. Confining glare and reflections within the boundaries of the site to the maximum extent feasible. Each light fixture shall be directed downward and away from adjoining properties and public rights-of-way, so that no on-site light fixture directly illuminates an area off the site. I. Maximum illumination level. No lighting shall produce an illumination level greater than one foot candle at the property line with a residential zone except on the site of the light source.
Full Breakdown
Beyond the general shielding rule that keeps a bulb from being visible off-site, Section D3-7.H.2 specifically targets glare crossing property lines: it requires confining glare and reflections within the boundaries of the site to the maximum extent feasible, and directs that each light fixture be aimed downward and away from adjoining properties and public rights-of-way so that no on-site fixture directly illuminates an area off the site. Section D3-7.I backs that design standard with a measurable limit: outdoor lighting cannot produce an illumination level greater than one foot-candle at a property line abutting a residential zone, except on the site of the light source itself. Together these two subsections give San Ramon's Planning Department both a design-review tool, checked when a comprehensive lighting plan is submitted with a project application under Section D3-7.C, and an objective, measurable standard a code enforcement officer can check with a light meter at the shared property line after a complaint from a neighbor.
Violations & Fines
A fixture that throws more than one foot-candle onto an adjoining residential property line, or that is not confined and aimed downward per Section D3-7.H, violates Section D3-7 and is enforced as an infraction under the City's general penalty section, Section A1-32, with fines up to $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second, and $550 for each further violation within a year, continuing daily under Section A1-33 until the fixture is corrected.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Ramon
California rules heatmap·Compare San Ramon to another location·View the California outdoor lighting overview
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